


Tales of a Grimm Studies Professor at Beacon Academy

by Dull_Lucid



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Comedy, Eventual Romance, Gen, Romance, School, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26268376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dull_Lucid/pseuds/Dull_Lucid
Summary: Follow the adventures(?) of a newly appointed Grimm studies professor! The events of these stories takes place in Volume 1,2, and 3.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on adding more pictures to the other chapters slowly. It takes awhile to edit some of these

Two men stood a few meters apart facing each other along a riverside. One man, clearly younger than the other, was donned with a metal half-plate chest piece along with a circular buckler in his right hand. The other was unarmed but a strong gust of wind twirled his coat around, revealing a myriad of weapons and trinkets underneath. As the sun glared down on the two, sweat beads fell across their foreheads. Standing motionless, waiting for the other to make the first move, the two refused to budge an inch until…

The man with the large coat dashed forward throwing out a right hook, trying to use the momentum of his body to pummel the young man's head. The attacker was fast and the only option for the man was to weave around the strike.

Grazing his target, the aggressor continued his assault with a quick left jab which was intercepted by the young man's hand. Not deterred by this, the assailant kept up his relentless attack with a fury of blows. Most of the swings were dodged but one strike was blocked by the buckler causing the attacker to recoil in pain, leaving a small opening.

The young man swung his right hand, just barely missing his target with the buckler as the attacker did a swift back handspring. Now a few meters away, the man pulled a compact sub-machine gun from underneath his coat and began spraying bullets at his opponent.

The young man reacted to this attack by activating a mechanism in the handle of his buckler, causing his shield to expand to the size of a full-grown adult, and then slamming it firmly into the ground. As each bullet ricocheted-

"beepbeepbeep beepbeepbeep beepbeepbeep beepbeepbeep beepbeepbeep"

The sound of an incessant alarm clock rang across a dark room followed by a low groan.

_Is it that time already_ , a man with dark disheveled hair thinks to himself, _what time did I even fall asleep last night?_

After his pause for thought, the man slowly spun to the source the noise, turned it off, got off the bed and then shuffled through the clutter that littered the floor to make his way to the closet.

_I wonder if I have enough time to make it to the cafeteria and grab a quick bite._

A uniform was already neatly laid out for him. A dark red suit with gold lining with black dress shoes. He lazily took off his sleepwear and put on his new uniform while stumbling around to put on his shoes.

_I feel like I'm forgetting something._

He looked at a full-length mirror that was mounted on a nearby wall but was leaning slightly to the left. In it, he saw a tall man with a lean physique wearing a nice suit that did not match his messy hair that covered his forehead and reached all the way down to the back of his neck along with his slight slouch.

Giving a small sigh the man thought to himself again, _I hope security doesn't take me for a homeless man that just mugged one of their instructors. I better not forget my I.D…_

The man made his way back to his nightstand where the alarm clocked was perched and reached into the top drawer to fish out his official Beacon academy I.D. On it was a photo of the man with a half-assed smile, the name of the institution, his identification number and finally his name… Hans Iron.

_From today on I'll be referred to as Professor Iron huh…_

Hans then put his I.D into wallet which was sitting comfily next to the alarm clock and then proceeded to pocket it.

_I never thought I'd end up working at Beacon Academy. Wearing this uniform and having this I.D feels surreal._

Hans began to walk over to the door while rubbing his hazel eyes. He let out a loud yawn as he was a few steps away from the door. He grabbed the nob, turned it slowly and pulled the door open allowing light to finally enter his dark and chaotic room.

Thus, began Hans Iron's first day as an instructor at Beacon Academy.

_Ah… I forgot my tie_ , Hans thought to himself while waiting in his classroom. _Whatever, one of the other professors in the cafeteria wasn't even wearing his suit. Maybe he doesn't like eating in these stuffy things._

Some teams had started to arrive in his classroom while he was lost in thought. Once he had noticed that there were students in his presence, he quickly assigned them their seats. All teams were accounted for by 8:50 except for one of them; Team JNPR.

Once the clock hit 9:00, Hans started scratching the back of his head and decided it was finally time to start class. As he was about to start his role call a girl with red hair burst through the classroom doors followed by two other students. Hans paused for a moment and stared at the three students.

"Team JNPR" Hans said in a quizzical manner.

A fourth student started to stumble into the room gasping for air and raised his hands, "Present". The student then collapsed on the floor.

Hans did not know what to think of this, so he simply gestured to the team where their seats were. The three students picked up the student that had fainted and lugged him to a chair. With all teams finally present, Hans finished role call and began class by introducing himself.

"Hey everyone. My name is Hans Iron and I'll be one of your many instructors at Beacon Academy", Hans said in a very relaxed tone. "I'll also be working as a nurse too. This is my first-year here at the academy, so I'd appreciate it if you guys didn't give me too much trouble".

After confirming to everyone in the classroom that he was their instructor, hushed whispering began. Guessing what the whispering was about Hans decided to confront this by continuing his introduction.

"I know I look pretty young for an instructor but don't let my looks fool you. I'm a lot older than I appear and I'm a pretty capable huntsmen myself. Due to some… setbacks though, I'm now working here at Beacon".

This response did not quell the whispering of the students. Instead, it had seemed to make it even worse. Although Hans had a calm expression during his introduction so far, frustration started to creep up on his face.

Clearing his throat Hans again continued, "My area of expertise is Grimm studies. To be more specific, I specialize in the study of Grimm's weaknesses and how to exploit them. As an former huntsmen I've got a lot of helpful experience to pass down to you so you better pay attention in my class. Some of this stuff might be enough to keep death's door at bay."

The whispering had started to die down and Hans felt like he was starting to regain control of his class.

With some confidence in his voice now, "There are many ways to kill Grimm. Of course, you could just keep bashing away at them until the only thing remaining is a pile of mush".As Hans said that, a grin started to creep up on his lips and he started speaking at a faster pace and becoming more expressive with his motions.

"But that could be real tedious depending on the species. It's really effective against insect-like Grimm but good luck trying that on something like a beowolf. You've got to atleast dismember a few limbs before beating it to death. I'd rather just gut the thing after it's been incapacitated. There's just no better feeling than ripping and tearing through your foe in my opinion!"

Some of the students were beginning to feel uneasy from the professor as he continued on like a maniac.

"The damn bastards evaporate as soon as you kill them though, it's no fun when you can't dig through and see what makes them-"

Realizing that he was making a fool out of himself, Hans stopped mid-sentence returned to his relaxed posture and cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that everyone. I lost my cool there for a sec".

Blushing, Hans resumed on about what the goals of his class would be and hoped that the students would forget about this little "outburst of excitement".

What had felt like an eternity finally passed, and it was time for his first class to finally leave. Hans fell back onto his chair behind his desk and felt a bit of joy at the thought of finally being finished lecturing. This moment of euphoria was short lived though.

His eyes began to widen, his breathing began to speed up, his back arched forward, and his right hand was slowing nearing his twitching eyes. _This was just THE FIRST CLASS!_

Before Hans could continue his inner conflict, a young man's voiced reached out to him, "Uhh professor, are you alright?"

Being pulled back to reality, Hans immediately jumped to attention. His back swung straight, his hands quickly returned to a natural position on his desk, and his eyes were still wide but no longer ceaselessly twitching.

"Yes?!"

Before Hans, stood the young blonde man who was almost late for class this morning along with his three other teammates.

Hans stared blankly at the young man before asking ,"Umm sorry, what was your name again?"

"It's Jaune Arc, professor"

"Right… was there something you needed?"

A female student with orange hair and an bubbly attitude stepped up "We just wanted to say that we're sorry for showing up during role call."

"Oh that? Don't worry about it. I'm not very anal about attendance."

Some of the team members seemed relieved by this response.

"Sorry but I'm not very good at names. Could I get the rest of yours too?"

The bubbly girl answered by jumping in the air with her arms outstretched, "Nora Valkyrie!"

The girl with red hair responded with, "Pyrrha Nikos" along with a quick wave of her hand.

The last member answered coolly with, "Lie Ren"

"Ah, I'll make sure to remember your names this time".

_So this is Team JNPR?_ Hans started to become lost in his thoughts again. _Team JNPR were the ones that took out the death stalker during the initiation, right? They're definitely not what I was expecting._

Hans stared quizzically at each member as he thought this, making them feel awkward.

"Oh shoot we're going to be late for second period" exclaimed Pyrrha. "C'mon guys"

As Team JNPR turned to rush out of the classroom, Hans leaned back into his chair and continued to think to himself.

_Maybe I'm mistaking them for a different team? Most of the members seem strong but I was expecting them to be a bit more heroic… Hans eyebrows began to rumple. Well whatever, it's too soon judge._

As 2nd period started to shuffle in, his short break was coming to an end. Hans got off his seat and started mentally motivating himself for another lecture.

The last class had concluded, and that meant Hans' workday was finally over. After making sure that there were no students left in his classroom, he slumped back into his chair and shouted out, "THANK GOD!"

As he sat there in his chair his heavy breathing started to calm and his eyelids started to feel heavy. This chair was not as comfy as his bed at the onsite dormitory he was given, but it would make do. As he sat there with his eyes closed, his mind started to become empty of all thoughts. Suddenly, a loud knock on his door ruined this moment of repose.

With a groan, the professor responded to the interruption with, "Come in"

As soon as those words escaped his lips, the door swung open and a large man wearing a similar outfit to Hans' entered the room.

"Good evening Mr. Iron" said the portly man in a gruff voice. "You're looking worse for wear"

"That I am Peter, and you can just call me Hans y'know".

Peter Port let out a hearty chuckle as he approached Hans' desk

"Where's your tie Mr. Iron"

"No clue. Probably somewhere on the floor of my bedroom"

Peter shook his head disapprovingly, "What were your impressions of your first day at Beacon Academy?"

Getting off the chair, Hans responded with a blank gaze, "Grueling".

"Did the curriculum I assisted you with not help?" Peter says with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's not that," responds Hans, "I just feel out of my element." Hans began to frown. "Slaying Grimm feels much more natural to me then standing here and lecturing students".

Letting out another deep chuckle, Peter started to pat Hans on the back which straightens his posture. "I am sure you will be able to adapt Mr. Iron; I see great potential in you".

"Thanks Pete-"

"You remind me of myself when I first became a professor. Did I ever tell you about the time when I-"

Hans quickly interrupts with, "Please not right now".

"Then how about I tell you this story over lunch? I just recently chanced upon this amazing restaurant in town with the most superb briskets".

Hans' eyes lit up upon the idea of gorging himself with some nice and plump briskets but he was soon hit with dread as he realized that his wallet was quite famished too.

Sensing this Peter Port added another line at the end, "My treat".

Hans' hazel eyes lit up once again, "Really?!"

"Of course"

Starting to tear up and salivate , Hans replied, "You're a true friend Peter, I'll listen to your stories until the end of time!"

As they made their way from Hans desk towards the exit, a loud banging and an angry voice could be heard from behind the door. "Hans Iron! Are you in there?"

As Peter was about to respond to the stern voice, Hans reflexively covered his mouth with his right hand, quietly locked the door with left hand and then motioned him to stay silent with his left index finger. Peter and Hans could recognize that voice from a mile away. It was the combat instructor and the senior master Glynda Goodwitch. Hans started having cold sweats.

_What could she be possibly mad about now?_

Hans had no idea what he had done to anger Glynda, but he knew hell awaited for him beyond that door. Peter stood quietly beside Hans, curious of what was going on. Frantically looking around for another exit, Hans motioned to Peter to follow him. Peter, puzzled, trailed behind Hans to one of the windows on the other side of the room.

"Hans, you do know that we are on the third story of the academy, right? Why don't you just respond to-"

Hans let out an audible "shhhhhhhhhhhh" but it was no use.

"I can hear you in there!" shouted the voice followed by more bangs on the door which was starting to show signs of strain.

Now was the moment of truth for Hans… jump out the third story of a building or face the wrath of Glynda Goodwitch…


	2. Chapter 2

Hans heart was beating so hard that he mistook it for Glynda's abuse on the door. Hans knew he was running out of time as the unfortunate door began to splinter. Peter Port seemed unwilling to jump out of the window with Hans, and Hans did not want to abandon his friend. At that moment Hans heard a loud whack at the door and he felt a chill down his spine. _D-Did she get through already?_ Hans turned his head to the source of the noise and his heart stopped for a whole second.

There, through a newly made hole of the wooden door, was half of senior master(vice principal) Glynda's face, glaring at Hans. Paralyzed, Hans felt like a deer in headlights.

Glynda's visage backed away from the hole.

_What's she d-_

_Suddenly with a thunderous crash, the door flew off it's hinges and was approaching Hans at what appeared to be mach speed. Hans quickly activated his semblance. His eyes widened and his face took a more serious look. Everything appeared to slow down for Hans but the door was still soaring at him with great speed. Even with faster reaction time he wasn't going to be able to avoid the wooden bullet with just that._

__Damn it! This is gonna hurt either way._ _

_His heartbeat hastened to triple it's current rate, his blood flow increased marginally, his muscles were being overclocked_

_Hans dived out of the way, faster than any eye could see, just barely dodging the door as it whizzed past him and lodged itself into the wall._

_Hans hit the floor with a loud thud that knocked the breath right out of him and skid two feet across the floor._

_Turning his head to the now doorless entryway "Are you crazy!?" he exclaimed , "You could've killed me with that!"_

_Before he could continue his rant at the senior master, he saw something truly horrifying. The look on Glynda's face as she stomped her way towards him. This was not the usual frustrated scowl that Glynda gave him whenever she would nag at him… it was much fiercer, almost bestial. Hans, panicking, reflexively tried to reach for his weapon to defend himself but there were two problems with this._

_One, his arm cramped up intensely before he even moved an inch causing extreme pain to shoot through his body, and two… he forgot his weapon at the dorm._

__Why am I such an idiot._ _

_With Hans being unable to move, and Glynda Goodwitch approaching him, Peter couldn't help but draw comparisons from this scene and that of a starving spider about to feast on a tangled fly._

_Hans closed his eyes and Peter's voice echoed through his mind, _"Why don't you just respond to-"__

__Were it so easy_ _

_Glynda, now standing over her prey, kicked Hans over causing him to let out an audible "Oof" and lay on his back. Glynda then proceeded to grab the collar of Hans' suit and dragged his motionless body out of the classroom._

_Peter stood there. Dumbstruck by what had just happened in the past minute. He then called out to Hans who was no longer in sight. "You seem pretty preoccupied at the moment Mr. Iron. I'll just have to tell you my story next time."_

_As the sound of Peter Port's booming voice traveled out the classroom and echoed through the hallways, Hans' eyes began to water. The promise of savory briskets was fleeting and would just remain a dream…_

* * *

_Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack_

_How long has it been now_ , Hans wondered.

_Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack_

He had lost sensation in his rear long ago as it was being dragged across the floor and both of his legs were unresponsive.

_Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack_

_Where are we even going_? As Hans opened his eyes and looked up, he saw the faces of students as they passed him. Some gave him pitied expressions. Others were laughing. Some seemed almost horrified. He turned his head to the left to peer out the window. Outside he saw a sparrow perched on top of the windowsill.

_How nice it must be to be free-_

A hawk swooped down and plucked the poor bird up leaving behind a single feather that gently swayed back and forth.

_Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack_

Hans closed his eyes once more and began to wonder if his upper limbs had finally recovered from all the strain that he had undergone to just avoid a door. He opened and closed his hands without issue.

_No problems there_

He then began to rotate his shoulders.

A slight shock shot through his arms. "Tsk"

Hearing this, Glynda spoke out in a cold voice, "We're almost there"

"Where exactly"

_Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack_

The only response Hans was going to get was the continued clacking of Glynda's heels

Given up on any thoughts of escaping he just stayed motionless, accepting of his fate. He had an idea of who she was taking him to but no clue where he'd be meeting with him.

* * *

After what had felt like forever, Hans finally heard the creaking of doors opening.

"Ah there you are Ms. Goodwitch," an amiable voice called out from beyond the doors, "And you brought a friend".

Glynda haphazardly set Hans on a chair in front of a desk. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about Ozpin".

Hans slowly opened his eyes. Unable to gesture with his arms, Hans tilted his head to slightly right and uttered "Yo Ozpin"

Ozpin who was already sitting down behind his desk, picked up his coffee mug which was planted on a coaster. "Good evening Mr. Iron".

Glynda walked behind the desk and stood beside Ozpin pulling out her large scroll and spoke out hastily, "Informal conduct, keeping his dormitory in complete disarray, violation of dress code, being absent during the Team ceremony, attempting to evade disciplinary action"

Finally pausing to catch her breath, Ozpin questioned, "Oh? Is that all?"

Turning her face away from her scroll to glare at Hans, "He also stole my breakfast this morning".

_Crap that was hers?!_ "How the hell is that my fault?! You shouldn't have left that plate of eggs and sausages unguarded!"

Frustrated, Glynda shot back, "I left to use the bathroom FOR FIVE MINUTES," slamming one of her hands onto the table.

Hans turned his head away from Glynda trying to avoid the intensity of her glare, but he could still feel her gaze.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug and then put it back down onto the coaster. He intertwined his fingers, and leaned forward causing his hands to cover the lower half of his face. His face stiffened and his eyes narrowed slightly as he peered at Hans. Not sure of his fate, Hans stared anxiously back at Ozpin.

"Informal conduct?" asked Ozpin

Glynda looked back down to her scroll and replied, "Not using proper honorifics when speaking with the other professors, lecturing his classes in an overly casual way, and being very unprofessional in general".

"I can't help that. It's just the way I talk with people Glyn-!"

Glynda looked up from her table to scowl at Hans.

"Err, I mean Ms. Goodwitch. I'm new to this whole teaching stuff alright. I've got little to no experience. What did you expect? I'm sure I'll act all teacherly after... a year or two".

Before Glynda could give a response, Ozpin inquired, "Is there something wrong with your room Mr. Iron?"

Hans thought about the question for a second and answered with a "N-No".

Glynda tilted her scroll to show Ozpin and Hans an image of his dorm. What they saw was a dimly lit room with a numerous number of trinkets, miscellaneous items, and a few weapons littered all over the floor. After a few seconds Glynda swiped across her scroll to show other images of Hans' room.

"H-Hey! Don't go showing other people my room!"

_Wait how did she even get these pictures?!_

After being shown an image of an end table missing one of its legs, Ozpin reacted with "That is quite a mess you have on your hands Mr. Iron"

"S-Sorry" Hans quietly muttered as he stared at the ground, obviously embarrassed.

"No excuses?" Glynda retorted.

"Why does it even matter if my room's a mess! She's just drawing at straws to get me fired!"

Before Glynda could argue back, Ozpin took a glance at Hans' upper chest and pointed out, "You're missing your tie Mr. Iron"

Hans' entire face drooped, and he let out a sigh before muttering out, "I'm aware"

Ozpin separated his fingers, straightened his back, reached for his coffee mug once more, and dismissed Glynda with, "I can handle the rest myself now ".

Glynda gave a nod and made her way to the exit. Ozpin took another quiet sip not once averting his gaze from Hans. After the door closed behind Glynda, Ozpin reached down into one of the desk's drawers, and indicated, "It seems like you're having a tough time here in Beacon Mr. Iron".

"Just a bit" Hans replied back.

Pulling out a bag of mini pretzels from the drawer, Ozpin asked, "Would you like a snack?"

"Ofcourse!" said Hans, with sparkling eyes.

Handing the bag over to Hans, Ozpin continued on, "Do you know why Glynda is giving you such a hard time?"

Already munching on the pretzel with an ecstatic look on his face, Hans answered with his mouth full "Noh". Pausing a second to finish swallowing his food, he continued his answer with a question, "Isn't she like that to everyone?"

"She's only that strict with those she disapproves of".

_That figures. She's been opposed to the idea of me teaching since I first met her._

"Beacon Academy is an institution to nurture future huntsmen and huntresses, the peacekeepers of Remnant". As the administrators and instructors of Beacon Academy it is our role to ensure that we cultivate the finest warriors".

Hans had heard similar quips like this countless times from Glynda but it seemed so much more motivating hearing it from Ozpin.

"Do you know why I decided to take you on as an instructor Mr. Iron?"

"I, uh, honestly have no clue. I have some experience being a field medic so taking me on as a nurse makes sense, but I didn't even have an inkling of experience teaching. There's also the issue with my past..." Hans' eyes turned sorrowful as he said that last line.

"It's true that I initially contacted you about a position as a school nurse but my true goal was to have you teach at Beacon. I think you possess unique qualities that will help develop our students. A quality that the other professors currently teaching here are... lacking.

Still confused, Hans answered back, "If you say so Ozpin..."

"Were it up to me I would hire a different nurse and have you teach a full course instead of half of one like you currently are doing now, but Glynda was too against the idea".

Hans' jaw dropped slightly. _What... is this feeling..? Am I actually grateful to Glynda?!_

Shaking off this brand new feeling, Hans quickly responded with "What course would I even teach? My Grimm studies class is just a supplement to Peter's"

"Don't be so hesitant to the idea Mr. Iron, there's a lot of courses you could instruct if you don't want to teach Grimm studies. Besides, Professor Port is only teaching Grimm studies because professor in charge of that course suddenly left us".

Hans let out a sigh, "Thanks for the offer Ozpin but I'll think about it more someday later". Realizing that his arms have fully recovered after going to grab another handful of more mini pretzels, "So am I going to get disciplined or what?"

"Yes"

Hearing this, Hans paused. His hand full of pretzels froze just right before his mouth. "Really? I am?"

"Yes. I'll be revoking one of your days off this week and another the next week if this issue is not resolved"

"Huh" was all Hans could muster out of his lips as the color drained from his face.

_Which issue?_

"I want you spend the entirety of your Saturday this week trying to make amends with Glynda Goodwich. I want you two to be on better terms. Your squabbling could create a poor environment for the students of Beacon and quite frankly, it's really annoying". As Hans heard that his eyes became dull as he leaned back into his seat.

Hans suddenly shot up and exclaimed, "So cruel! How do you expect me to get along with her in a single day!"

"It's not like you will only have a single day to make up with her," stated Ozpin, "You have the entirety of the week, and if you don't make up with her by the end of Saturday you could always try next week. If I don't see any progress on this task I've assigned you though I could always find something more productive for you to do on all of your days off."

Realizing that there was no way out of this mess, Hans hunched over and his eyes teared up. "What have I done to deserve this?"

"Not wearing your tie is a serious offense Mr. Iron," Ozpin teased.

A small grin grew on Hans' face, and he let out a quick snicker "Heh".

_I guess Ozpin is right. I'm going to need to make peace with_ _Glynda eventually._

Hans looked back up wearily at Ozpin.

_I can't just keep hiding from her and it'll make my job so much bearable without her nagging at me but where do I even start?_

Seeing Hans' "newfound resolve", Ozpin smiled and dismissed him.

"I wish you best of luck with your task Mr. Iron"

* * *

Stepping out of the cafeteria with a fairly full stomach and into the rays of the setting sun, Hans pondered what to do next.

_I can't believe my semblance caused my body to react like that._

Hans brought his left hand up and he clenched and relaxed his hand repeatedly.

_I guess that's what happens when you don't use your semblance for so long. When's the last time I've even activated it? Maybe I should go to the emerald forest to test out my semblance a little. It'd be mortifying if any of my students found out I can't control my semblance._ Hans let his arm drop to his side. _I've got a bigger issue to deal with right now though._ _Making amends with Glynda won't be easy..._

A yawn escaped from Hans mouth. _It's a little early for bed but... it's been a long day._

Hans began walking back to his dorm. _I wish they'd give out bigger portions out at the cafeteria. I wonder if Peter had those briskets without me._ Hans let his thoughts wander during his peaceful stroll. He would often do this regardless of whether he was alone or not. A strange habit that kept him sane during chaotic times in his life.

While Hans was immersed in thought he accidentally bumped into something. This sudden shock brought him back to reality. Scanning the immediate area for the source of disturbance, he realized that he didn't bump into something but rather someone.  
"Ah, sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going".

"No problem Professor Iron, I wasn't too," a high pitched feminine voice responded.

Hans' darted around the person he had bumped into, trying to figure out who she was. _Is she one of my students? She knows my name._ The student was petite with black hair and red accents. She looked slightly familiar to him.

"Are you ok professor?"

"Uhhhh, no, er, I MEAN YES!" Hans started sweating a little. His mind was drawing blanks. _WHAT'S HER NAME?!_

The young girl gave the professor a perplexed look. "You don't seem ok, Professor Iron".

With a heavy sigh, Hans gave up and said, "I'm fine, but what's your name again?"

"It's Ruby"

_Ruby? Ah that's right she's the one who skipped grades. No wonder she looks so young compared to the others... Wait where the hell am I?_

Scanning his surroundings once again, he realized that he was right outside of the student dormitory.

"Sorry again Ruby and I'm fine. Just a little battered".

"Oh? Were you training with someone?"

"Not exactly".

"Uhh, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll tell you another time," Hans turned to leave too tired to elaborate. As he walked away he waved his hand while wearily smiling back, "I'll see you in class".

"Alright, see ya later professor" Ruby replied while waving back.

Ten minutes later Hans finally arrived just outside his dorm. Hans pulled out his scroll and tried to use it to unlock the door but realized it wasn't locked to begin with.

_Ah... so that's how she got in._

Once inside the dorm Hans contemplated whether or not to get changed into his sleepwear but just opted to undress. Weary and tattered, Hans collapsed on top of the bed. Being embraced by the bed, he allowed his heavy eyelids to collapse and his thoughts faded to nothing. Hans' first day as an instructor at Beacon Academy was finally over but it definitely wasn't going to be the last chaotic one~


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of gunshots and metal clanking together could be heard disturbing the tranquility of a peaceful forest. A young man with short gray hair was taking cover behind his elliptical towershield as Hans unloaded a magazine at the slab of metal protecting him. Each bullet that ricocheted off the shield caused it to reverberate causing sweat beads to jump off his arms as he tried to hold up his shield that was firmly planted into the ground.

The firearm let out a _chink_ as it ran out of bullets to shoot. Hearing this, The young man lifted his shield with both of his arms and charged at Hans while letting out a battleroar.

Hans tossed the smg on the floor and armed himself with a shortsword that was hiding under his coat. He easily side stepped the large shield and swung down with his sword.

The young man activated his semblance and blocked it with his forearm which had now turned into a wedge of greyish metal. Hans retracted his blade and started swinging judiciously trying to penetrate his opponent's defense. Each swing was met with block after block until Hans thought he had finally found an opening. Hans let out a lighting fast thrust but was parried by the young man as he let out a grin. In this moment, the young man swung his human-sized shield at Hans.

**His heartbeat quickened to triple its current rate, his blood flow increased marginally, his muscles overclocked**

Hans jumped over the shield, landed on top of it, and used it as a sort of springboard to launch himself into the air while arching backwards. Landing on his feet several meters away, Hans threw his sword like a disc at a curve over his foe, and then pulled out a revolver and loaded it with three bullets in the blink of an eye.

The young man reacted by planting his shield firmly into the ground again and braced himself.

**Hans took a deep breath and his eyes widened. The colors drained from his surroundings but everything around him appeared to be moving at half speed.**

Hans aimed at the center of the shield and fired two bullets in quick succession. After the sword had made its way past Hans' opponent, he carefully aimed at the flat side of the blade and then fired.

The first two bullets landed dead center of the shield turning into white powder as it crashed into the shield. The third ricochet off the sword and whiffed the young man, as it zipped between his feet. Hans sprinted towards his enemy, loading more bullets along the way.

The young man tried to detach one of his arms from his shield in order to intercept Hans but it was stuck. He looked down to see that the handles he was using to hold the shield was incased in ice. Panicking, the young man tried to lift his shield off the ground but as he tried to reposition his legs, he couldn't gain any traction and slipped onto his shield. The ground beneath him had turned into a sheet of ice!

The young man heard the cocking of a gun above his head and quickly turned to see the end of a barrel along with Hans' cold and piercing gaze...

**"Say goodbye to my little friend"**

_Bam_ , a single shot rang throughout the forest...

Followed by sound of two men laughing hysterically.

"Say goodbye to my little friend? "the young man wheezed out in between his laughter, "Where the hell did you get that from?"

Trying to hold back his laughter to answer, Hans replied, "I heard it from some song somewhere".

After the laughter had finally come to an end and the ice surrounding the handles had thawed, Hans stretched out his left arm to his sparring buddy. As the man on the ground reached out for his hand the surrounding scenery suddenly shifted into night, cloaking everything in darkness. Shocked, Hans quickly scanned the area and noticed the nearby river had turned blood red and the scent of death permeated the air.

"I don't want to die Hans," a voice hoarse voice called from under Hans.

Hans turned his head to the voice only to see the young man mangled and battered, bleeding from his eye sockets which were now pitch black.

Horrified by this sight, Hans tried to withdraw his body, but his arm was quickly snatched by the disfigured man.

"Please don't leave me here, it hurts so much", the young man pleaded in a low and wobbly voice as bloody tears continued to run down his face.

Hans' eyes snaped open and his chest shot up off the bed! Hans' breathing was heavy and he was covered in sweat.

Sitting there silently for a moment, Hans turned to his alarm clock.

_4:33..._

Hans collapsed back onto the bed, staring blankly at the celling. He covered his eyes with his forearm and whispered, "I'm sorry".

* * *

Hans, with bags under his eye, let out a loud yawn. He was sitting at a desk in his nurse's office. He had his elbow on the table while the palm of his hand cradled his chin. Hans wasn't able to get a wink of sleep after waking up. The dream he had did not inhabit his thoughts long after but it did put him in an restless state for a few hours.

The door to his office opened and he lifted his head from his hand. He saw a familiar face step through his doors and smirk crept up his face as the student entered.

Hans motioned to a chair in front of him, ""Have a seat right here".

"Good morning professor Iron" she said as she followed his orders.

"Good morning to you too! So how can I help you today..." Hans said with a smug smile before theatrically announcing, "Ruby!"

"Well-"

"Feeling homesick? I've got a few students this morning that complained that they couldn't get any sleep because of it".

"Actually, Ms. Goodwitch sent me here".

Hans' visage darkened as he peered at her, "You're not here to check up on me are you?" said Hans in a serious voice.

"No? Atleast I don't think so. told me to go to the nurses office after I finished my mock battle".

"Oh? So you're low on aura then," Hans said in a more relaxed tone.

Hans got up off his chair and made his way towards one of the cabinets. As he did, Ruby caught a glimpse of Hans' holstered gun which caused her eyes pop out. The wooden grip of his firearm had a notable engraving.

While Hans was looking for some medicine, Ruby's eyes were glued onto Hans' hip. After digging through the cabinet, Hans returned to the chair while trying to pour a single pill out onto his hand. As he fell back in the chair, Ruby began to lift herself off of her chair to keep her point of interest in sight. By the time Hans was fully seated, the back of Ruby's thighs were barely touching her seat.

Hans extended out his arm to Ruby to give her a single pill but Ruby was too preoccupied examining Hans' weapon.

_Why the hell is she not taking it?_

"Do you need some water or something"

"Huh? Oh no, I'm fine" Ruby said as she quickly sat back down and took the pill.

_Is she... spying on me after all..?_

"Uh, the pill should take effect shortly. It only increases the rate at which your body generates aura so don't expect it to be back to one-hundred percent immediately so... you can go now".

"Mm-hm, yeah" uttered Ruby as she returned to her heightened position.

_What the hell is wrong with this kid? Why is she looking at me like that? She's definitely spying on me for Glynda._

"So Ruby... is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah, yep..." Not paying any attention to Hans' words.

_What is she after? My dress code again?! I'm wearing everything right? I've got the coat, the shoes, sure my hair's a little messy bu-... I FORGOT MY DAMN TIE AGAIN!_

Hans immediately got off his chair and slammed both his hands on the table and yelped, "Ruby! I'll cut you a deal okay! Just don't tell Glyn- I MEAN !

Shocked by Hans sudden shouting, Ruby jumped to the back of her seat and let out a shrill "Eep".

Looking dejected, Hans defeatedly pleaded, "Anything you want, just don't tell her, I beg of you".

Ruby replied quizzically, "Ms. Goodwitch?"

Slamming his hands on the desk again, "Don't try to play dumb with me! What other reason could you have for looking at me like that this whole time?!"

Pushing her index fingers together while looking to the side, Ruby responded, "Oh that... I was just trying... to look at your *mumble mumble*"

"What?"

Cleary flustered, she tried once again after a pause, "Weapon..."

"My weapon? What about it?

"See it. Want to".

"You want to see my weapon...? That's it?"

Ruby nodded her head anxiously as she her hands were now pressing against her lap.

"Uh, alright fine".

Hans reached down, unholstered his revolver and gave it a twirl before presenting the grip to her. Once it was in full view for Ruby, her eyes began to twinkle. She began to open her mouth to say something but bit her lip as to try to stop herself.

"What are you waiting for?" Go ahead and take it".

Ruby got off the chair and looked into Hans' eyes as her shaking hands neared the handle "C-C-Can I really?"

"That's what you want right?"

Ruby paused for a second, then quickly swiped Hans' revolver "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Hans, surprised, jump backed a little. _What on Remnant?_

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. ItsarealDevilSmithweapon.

"H-Hey calm down a litt-"

"Itssolight! Isthereanybulletsinit? CanIfireit?"

"Can you plea-"

"Thebarrelissolong! Why'sthetriggersoheavy?! Thecylinderissocool!

Hans suppressed a sigh and slowly fell back into his chair. He sat there patiently waiting for Ruby to settle down. Finally, while catching her breath, Hans found his opportunity to talk.

"I'm surprised you were able to recognize the manufacturer of my gun".

"Are you kidding Professor? Who doesn't know about Demon Smith weapons?"

"Quite a lot I assumed. They can't transform like many other weapons can, so they aren't that popular".

"Yeah, but they're the best at what they do! They're also highly sought-after collector's items now! Does it have a name!?"

Smiling gently, "You're quite the enthusiast Ruby and yes, this one is named Phobos".

Ruby sat back down and handed his gun back to him, "Sorry if I'm weirding you out".

"I was surprised at first, but I don't mind at all. I actually find it charming. Why didn't you speak up about my weapon earlier?"

"Some people have said that my obsession with guns grosses them out. I was trying really hard the whole time not to make a scene".

"Well I don't mind one bit. If you ever want to see my other armaments or just talk about weapons, then I'm all ears".

"Really?"

"Ofcourse, now if there isn't anything else you need, I have to get back to work".

Shaking her head "Thanks Professor Iron! I'm all good now".

Hans got up to escort Ruby out of his office, but once he opened the door, he noticed that a sizeable line had formed outside his room.

_How long were we talking for...?_

'Ha ha ha," giving a nervous laughter, "sorry Professor"

_There goes my peaceful day..._

* * *

After discharging Ruby and dealing with the all the backed-up students, Hans had a relatively uneventful shift. One student came in for an upset stomach. Another for allergy issues. Periodically, a few came to restore their aura. After his shift had ended, Hans rushed off to Beacon Cliff. This was far enough from everything for him to practice in peace. He knew that he could perceive at twice the speed a normal person could because of his semblance but not for how long. He also needed figure out how fast he could hasten his body without damaging it.

First off was testing his perception speed. By increasing the rate at which his neural networks communicated with his sensory organs, he could essentially slow down time in his eyes. Although he was perceiving everything faster, this did not mean he could move faster. This was useful for any maneuvers that required precision. The downside of this was that overuse of this ability racked his brain with headaches. Typically, doubling his reaction speed was all that he needed and anything over that was overkill and could put him at high risk of a migraine.

**Hans took a deep breath and his eyes widened. The colors drained from his surroundings but everything around him appeared to be moving at half speed.**

Hans stood motionlessly for about one minute of real time before kneeling over and clenching his forehead with his hand. The headache dissipated after a few seconds.

_Only two minutes... Not as bad as I thought it was going to be_

Next up was the scary one. By speeding up the rest of his body Hans could freely move at a higher pace. He would often use this in conjunction with his heightened perception to make split second maneuvers but he would have to use it by itself today. The downside of this was that if he overdid it, his body would become incapacitated. If he wasn't careful, his entire body could shut down. Hans had already tried to move at three-fold his normal speed which ended in failure, so anything at or above that was out of the question. His only option was double.

**His heartbeat quickened to double its current rate, his blood flow increased marginally, his muscles overclocked**

Hans began to shadowbox. He would have preferred to do this exercise with a dummy but that required too much setup. A minute had passed, and Hans' body began to feel sore. Not wanting to take it any further, Hans sat down along the cliff to give his body some rest.

_Also, two minutes huh. Nowhere near my peak but definitely doable in a scrap._

Hans thought about slowing down his body to reverse the effects of the acceleration it as he would often do after using the ability to speed up but decided against it. Hans didn't care much about his own looks, but he didn't want to age faster than the rest of his colleagues. He wouldn't have to worry about this issue for awhile though since his body still had a lot of catching up to do...

Seeing as how it would be a waste to come out here and only exercise for two minutes, Hans decided to take in the scenery for the rest of the day. Any worries he had that day were pushed out of his mind at the beauty of the sun as it set on the horizon.


	4. Chapter 4

An uneventful day had come and gone with nothing of note for Hans'. It was his second day of lectures, and they were filled to the brim with "Umm" and "Uhhh". He had to recite a lot of lines out of a book and he forgot to explain some contents of his lecture. Hans was familiar with how to kill Grimm but teaching students when and where to strike was a little more complicated. Most Grimm didn't have the same anatomical features as humans did so he'd just pull up a diagram from a book and point to wherever he was talking about. Explaining behavioral patterns of more intelligent Grimm is where he most struggled in and resigned his efforts to thoroughly teach this concept. Hans was sure a lot of his students were not satisfied with the quality of his lecture.

As his last class of students rushed out of his room, Hans got up to do a quick stretch. As he raised his hands above his head, he noticed there was one student that had waited for the excited mob to exit before getting up. There was a certain eloquence that this student radiated which was unmatched by her peers. As she made her way out the classroom, some type of pouch fell out of her pocket. She didn't seem to notice, so Hans tried to return it to her.

"Hey, you dropped this".

Without completely turning her body around she took the pouch and gave a contemptuous look at Hans. With her back turned to him she replied, "Thanks" in a toneless voice.

_What the hell is her problem?_ Puzzled by the student's response Hans tried to recall her name. _Schnee... Weiss Schnee, right? She's in the same team as Ruby and I could recognize that crest anywhere_. Hans also tried to recall if he had slighted her in anyway but drew blanks. He wanted to question her, but she was already gone by the time Hans got off his train of thought. _Maybe she's just in a foul mood..._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Hans had just arrived at the cafeteria. On today's menu was an assortment of sandwiches and other similar dishes of the like but Hans didn't care for any of those. No, the reason Hans was at the cafeteria today was for the dessert being offered. Blueberry Cheesecake! If there was something Hans loved more than chowing down on some juicy meat, it'd be sinking his teeth into a delectable sweet.

As he began to eagerly await his turn to order he realized that Weiss was waiting in line in front of him. "Ah, hey again Weiss. About what happened earlier, is everything alright?"

Weiss' face soured as she heard Hans' voice call out to her, and simply left the line without give a response.

_Huh? Again with that attitude?!_ Hans had definitely irked her in some way and he was going to find out when and how... right after dessert.

_No!_ Hans clenched his fists. If she was actively avoiding him there wouldn't be many chances after this. With much dismay he followed Weiss out of the cafeteria "Hey wait up".

Catching up with her outside, Weiss let out a sigh before finally asking, "What is it professor?" not bothering to turn her body to meet his.

"Did I do something wrong? Why are you avoiding me?"

"What kind of ridiculous question is that? Why wouldn't a dignified lady like myself be disgusted by a lecherous teacher like you?"

Hans stood there at a loss of words, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. _Huh...? Lecherous? Me?_ "Sorry Weiss but I think I misheard you. Could you run that by me again?"

Weiss spun around and stamped her foot, "Are your ears deaf? I called you an enormous pervert of a teacher".

"What?! HOW?! What have I done to warrant this?!"

"Are you trying to act innocent? Anyone could tell from the way you look at your students". Weiss tried to cover her body with her slender arms as her sour face began to blush, "That intense gaze you give your students... and the fact that you're in such a trance that you can't even recall your their names... It's just so disgusting and disturbing. Is fornicating really the only thing you have in that dirty mind of yours".

Breaking out of his stupor, "Y-You got it all wrong! I'd never look at a student that way!" Hans also wanted to add that he was not even interested in her "underdeveloped" body so that she would stop trying to cover herself up, but refrain from doing so.

"What other reason would you have for staring at us like that! Go on! I'm listening!"

"It's all a misunderstanding I swear! I'm just trying to remember all your names and when I do, I get lost in thought!"

"Is that the only excuse that mongoloid brain of yours can come up with? I'm not buying it. What kind of person has difficulty memorizing names!"

"ME!" Trying to come up with an excuse to not look like an utter buffoon Hans admitted defeat and decided to just tell her the truth, "Look, I had a sheltered life alright. All I knew was my family growing up. It was just me, my mom, my dad, and my two siblings in my little world. Its only when I started official Huntsmen training that I actually met new people, and names... just never stuck for me. The only people I bothered to remember the names of were my professors and my teammates".

Weiss pondered over the sincerity of Hans words. It was only the third day of classes, so it was understandable to not be familiar with all the students. But it seemed that if Hans was being truthful, he had only remembered the names of a handful of students. He did recognize her as a Schnee on the first day of class though and hardly stared at her at all. _If he barely looks at me like that, then there really must be another reason to stare at the other students that way,_ Weiss thought, completely oblivious to the idea that perhaps Hans wasn't attracted to her in the first place. _"_ Fine, I'll buy into your story... for now."

"Really?! I'm cleared?!"

"Yes, but don't think for a second that I consider you anything more than a shoddy teacher. The way you instruct class is-"

Shaking his hands dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. C'mon lets get back to the cafeteria before it closes!" Hans grabbed Weiss' hand and pulled her back to the cafeteria.

"H-Hey wait, I'm not even that hungry anymore!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now sitting down at a table across from each other, Weiss contemplated why she decided to eat with her professor as Hans scarfed down half a cheesecake by himself. The cafeteria wasn't that cramped as most students had already finished their meals by the time the two had gotten theirs. Nonetheless, she still felt embarrassed as she felt the occasional glance come their way. She had wanted to complain more about the way Hans carried out his lessons but the gleeful look on her professor's face as he ate dissuaded her. Weiss decided to simply wait for an opening to confront him, getting more and more irritated the longer she just sat there. It was an awkward scene for sure.

Wiping a smear of cream off his face, Hans offered some cake to Weiss, "Want any? Blueberries are in season right now and it complements the cheesecake so well~~~"

Her brows furrowed, "No, I'm quite alright".

"Really? You've haven't even touched your sandwich and you've been staring at me this whole time".

This was her chance! Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down before speaking, but when she opened her eyes, Hans had already begun working on another slice. Finally having enough of this charade, she snapped, "Enough of that will you! What are you a child?"

"Hmm? What are you so mad about? If there's something else bothering, you then go on ahead and tell me."

Taking this as an invitation to speak, Weiss began to vent uncontrollably, "You. Are. Just... The most unprofessional professor I have ever seen! The way you act! The way you talk! Even the way you look! Would it kill you to just put on a damn tie! What is up with you!? I thought you'd act more like a professor after your apology!"

"All I'm doing is eating cheesecake. Can you simmer down? Is it such a crime to enjoy something you love?"

Weiss slammed her hands down, "I will not! The way you're behaving is unbecoming of someone teaching at this prestigious academy. Don't you care what others will think about you Prof-" Finding his chance, Hans shoved a spoonful of cheesecake into Weiss' mouth. Her angry face became sullen by the breach but then slowly turned gentle. It was... good?!

With a big grin on his face, "See! Didn't I tell you it was great? The sweets I had during my Huntsmen days can't even compare to the ones here at Beacon".

Weiss averted her gaze trying to hide her blushing. Hans slid the last slice of cheesecake over to Weiss and coolly got up. "I'm sorry ok, so don't get so upset. You and... another certain professor are right though. I promise that I'll try to take this job more seriously, but I can't change the way I am, so lighten up on me would ya? I'm still new to all this so it's going to take some time for me to become a professional". With that he gave Weiss one last grin before leaving.

Weiss sat there with the spoon still in her mouth and a lonely cheesecake. She tried to compose herself but was racked with too many emotions. "Th-That... how dare he... treating me like a little kid! I'll..." Weiss' gaze returned to the single cheesecake, _Seriously... why did you have to taste so good..._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Watching the sun slowly set on top of the professors' dormitory, Hans couldn't stop replaying scenes from when he first got hired at Beacon to the most recent cafeteria incident. After he had "retired" from being a huntsman, life had been dull. He thought he could conquer his demons by locking away his emotions and hiding himself away, but he had just lost sight of who he was. It had only been three days working at Beacon, but he felt closer to being alive once again. Pulling out his revolver, Hans ran his fingers across an engraving at the bottom of the grip.

_To Hans Iron_

_Leader of Team HUSH_

"I messed up again didn't I everyone... I thought I'd be able to move on if I just forgot everything but yet here I am... questioning the choices I made. I couldn't save any of you that night but maybe I can help these students avoid the same mistakes... I guess I really should take this teaching job more seriously huh... Ugh, I already did promise that kid didn't I". Scratching the back of his head and now ambling back inside, _Welp no sense in thinking about it too much now_. _I'll just ask good ol' Pete for some more advice tomorrow._

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

It was time for lunch and instead of eating at the cafeteria, Hans was in Peter Port's classroom.

"So you want to take your role as a Grimm studies professor more seriously Mr. Iron?"

"Yeah, I mulled over it a little and figured it'd be more fun. Plus, Ozpin has been pushing me to become a full-time instructor".

Beaming with a mix of pride and happiness "I'd be happy to help you in anyway Mr. Iron. It's been difficult for me to teach two courses and although you have been a tremendous help, I find myself weary more often than not. After the Grimm studies professor last year passed away suddenly on us, I've taken over her course and it's been a tad difficult for me".

"Wait a sec. Nobody told me that an instructor died here!"

"Don't worry. Her death was completely unrelated to the security of this academy. She passed away after choking on some peanuts".

"O-Oh… Well sorry to keep you waiting but I don't think I can completely fill in for her just yet. I'm not sure how many times I've already admitted this but I'm new to all this y'know. I'll also need to get Glynda's approval too. I've been kinda putting that off for awhile now though…"

"Don't worry! I'm already quite aware! I have just the plan for you Mr. Iron!"

"Oh?"

* * *

_Oh…_

Hans was sitting at his desk flipping through one of many books that Peter Port had lugged onto him. He peered over to his right side to see a pile of books on the floor that stood just as high as him. Hans let out a sigh before letting gravity take over his body.

"No more" Hans groaned to himself after his head dropped onto the book

The assortment of books weren't just on the topic of Grimm. Some were about improving one's skill as an orator and a few about developing an individual's character

_You bastard. If you've got a problem with the way I act, then just say so._

Hans let out a yawn and contemplated about taking a nap right then and there. His shift had just ended and he had been reading whenever he wasn't giving medical aid to a student. Hans was reaching the end of his rope and as he was starting to dose off but he heard a few knocks on his door.

"Professor? Are you still here?"

"Yeah, come on in", Hans said in a groggy voice as he lifted his head.

The door swung open and Ruby jumped through, "Hiya Professor!"

"Hey Ruby".

Ruby walked over to his desk at a brisk pace "So I know that you said you'd show me your other weapons that you had but I thought it would be cool to show you mine and see what you thought about it".

Holding back a yawn, "Sure, I was about to take a break anyways".

Ruby unsheathed her weapon from behind her waist and transformed it into a scythe before presenting it to him, "Please be gentle with my sweetheart. Oh, it's name is Crescent Rose by the way".

Hans took the weapon into his hands "I don't see this too often. A scythe and… a rifle?" As his hands ran across the base of weapon, 'It's lighter than I expected. The blade itself is pretty heavy but the recoil from this must be insane".

"It's not too bad. You kinda get used to it".

"Really!?" Hans couldn't help but glance over at Ruby and observe her frame. She was a little younger than the rest of her peers and it wasn't hard to tell. Her stature was smaller than the others and she seemed very "delicate". It was hard for Hans to imagine Ruby wielding this scythe in combat.

As Hans was examining Crescent Rose and Ruby, a voice came from the entrance of the room, "So this is where you ran off to Ruby".

Hans and Ruby both turned their attention to the uninvited guest. At the doorway was a young woman with blonde hair who had both of her hands on her hip.

"Oh? Yang? Why are you here?"

"I was wondering where my little sis ran off to but then I stumbled across you two in here". Yang shook her head and gave a shrug "And here I thought you were meeting up with your secret lover, but I just find you weirdoes talking about weapons".

"H-Huh?! W-What's so weird about talking about weapons?" Ruby shot back with a blushed looked.

"Class is over Ruby. You should be relaxing or playing games or even hanging out with friends. Not chilling with your professor".

"Professor Iron is my friend though", Ruby looked over to Hans with puppy dog eyes. "Right?"

Feeling like he'd been ensnared into an answer, he replied uneasily, "Um, of-course".

"I mean friends your age Ruby. Who actually hangs out with their teacher? Isn't there anyone else you can talk with about- Wait a second…" Yang got in-between Hans and Ruby "Aren't you that perverted professor Weiss was talking about".

"What? I'm not a pervert!"

"Oh really? You were looking at Ruby all weird when I came in. Don't tell me you're into dainty little girls like her".

"You were professor?"

"I was not! I mean I was, but I was just wondering how you're able to wield Crescent Rose and-!" Hans was going to remark what his preferred body type was but realized that this was neither the time nor the place for this.

"And?" Yang replied.

As he was trying to come up with something to say Hans couldn't help but wonder how Yang and Ruby were related. They seemed like polar opposites. Their personalities and their… bodies…

"I-It's nothing. I'm not a weirdo and neither is Ruby for liking weapons!"

Ruby jumped over to Hans side and nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah! And Professor Hans probably isn't a pervert!"

"ONLY PROBABLY?" Hans blurted out

Ruby let out a small giggle as Hans was recovering from the shock of betrayal.

"Well if Ruby thinks you're a nice guy… then I guess you can't be all that bad." Yang crossed her arms while analyzing Hans. "Maybe Weiss was trying to scare me".

"I already sorted out everything between me and her yesterday evening. It was all just a misunderstanding". Looking back to Ruby, Hans handed back Crescent Rose back to her which she re-holstered. "It's a finely made weapon. Hats off to the craftsmen".

"Thank you, Professor! I put a lot of love into it".

"Wait, you made it?"

Ruby nodded her head, "Yep! It was tough getting all the parts to work together correctly but it was still a really fun experience!"

"See that's why I prefer simple weapons," Hans said smugly, "All this transforming crap is too complicated and-"

While Ruby and Hans were conversing about weapons Yang couldn't help but feel left out. She considered leaving but it was oddly enchanting to see Ruby actually interacting with somebody other than family, so she decided to keep listening in.

"But don't you think that's what makes them so cool? It's like two weapons at the same time! Why don't-"

Something about all this "nerd" talk was irritating to Yang though. She had imagined Ruby would have found her own friends and her own place in the school if she was left to her own devices but here she was… debating about weapons with a professor in a nurse's office.

"Even if it's practical to have a weapon for close-range and long-range combat, you still run the risk of jamming and not to mention-"

Yang's foot began to tap repeatedly on the floor. She was starting to reach her boiling point. All she wanted to hear was a normal conversation between Ruby and her "friend" and all they seemed to do was drone on about weapons.

"How dare you! Take that back right now professor! Transforming weapons aren't-!"

"ENOUGH!"

Hans and Ruby both froze up.

"Are you guys seriously gonna talk about weapons all day?! You can just do that in class when we're learning how to kill Grimm! Why can't you two talk about something fun?!"

An awkward silence broke out in the nurses office…

…

Trying to change the mood of the atmosphere, Hans cleared his throat before asking Ruby, "So, uh… how's the weather?"

"Um, clear I guess".

"Good to hear…"

The room grew quiet once again…

…

It was Ruby's turn to break the ice and she asked the professor, "See any good movies lately?"

"I don't think so".

"Oh ok…"

Before silence could once again settle, Yang grabbed both Hans and Ruby's hands and burst out the office.

"H-Hey! Where are we going?"

"Where are you taking us Yang?" They both said in unison

"You two obviously have no idea how to have fun so I'm taking you guys somewhere you will!"


	6. Chapter 6

Hans, Yang, and Ruby were outside a shady club. It had been awhile since they left Beacon and Hans was curious about where Yang was going to take them, but he never thought she would bring the two to a night club. Hans and Ruby gave each other quick glances before Yang began leading the way towards the entrance.

"Ummm what is this place Yang?" asked Ruby.

Yang turned around with a quick spin with her arms outstretched and replied, "It's a club of course.".

"But why this one?" Hans joined in.

"I've only been here once but the place looked pretty chill. I've got some bad blood with the owner but don't worry about it. He's a total pushover".

"Why do you know Junior," Hans blurted out.

Yang put her hands on her hips and let out an irritated sigh, "Look, did we come here to have fun or for you to lecture me? Wait, you've been here before?"

 _I should've ran away after all…_ Hans thought to himself. It seemed like tagging along with Yang to sate his curiosity was a bad idea. This was going to become a hassle.

"It's-"

"Aren't we too young to go inside a club? I thought these things were for adults," Ruby asked.

Taking this opportunity to change the subject Hans backed up Ruby, "You're absolutely right! They are for adults… Which is why we should just go someplace else. How about we get some food instead?" Hans ended with a wry smile.

Yang stared at Hans, suspicious of him. It was obvious to her he was trying to hide something, but she quickly dismissed it. Yang turned and began to walk towards the club while saying, "If you dorks don't want to have some fun then go ahead and leave without me".

Ready to accept the offer Hans turned to leave but Ruby clutched his arm before he could.

"What's the matter Ruby?" Hans asked while trying to pull his arm away from her.

"Is she really going by herself?" Ruby questioned while biting the four fingers on her other hand

"Looks like it," after glancing quickly over to Yang, "C'mon let's get out of here," Hans said with another tug.

"But we can't just leave her professor!"

Hans heaved out a sigh and turned to Ruby to persuade her otherwise but the look on her face caused him to pause. She looked determined yet scared at the same time. She wanted to follow Yang, yet she was still clung onto his arm. Hans got the impression that Yang could handle herself, but Ruby was a different story. Would it really be ok to leave her with someone even less responsible then him?

Ruby relentlessly tugged on Hans' arm and Hans suppressed the urge to let out another sigh. Hans took one more look at Ruby before giving up and allowing the tugging to become pulling.

"Wait for us Yang!" Ruby shouted, "Me and Professor are coming with you!"

Once the two had reached Yang, they were right outside the entrance. A crowd that was lined up outside the club jeered at the group as they cut in front of them while the bouncer looked like he was about to piss his pants, "Y-Y-You're…" and as his eyes came upon Hans, "A-And you?"

Annoyed that the bouncer wasn't even trying to attempt to keep them out Hans asked in a cold voice, "Aren't you gonna do your job and tell us to scram?"

The bouncer stood in place with his legs shaking and kept stuttering unintelligible words. Yang took this as an invitation and entered the club. "Thanks buddy!" she said as she pat the bouncer on his back. Yang laughed as she walked into the club before turning around and teasing the angry crowd outside, "See you losers inside".

Ruby hurriedly chased after her sister with Hans in tow, both of them avoiding the miscellaneous items now being thrown after Yang's wake. Ruby followed three-paces behind Yang with her head hunched over her shoulder while taking in the scenery. The club had a modern aesthetic to it and the only colors as far as she could see were black and white. The bright lights that periodically flashed over them and the music that caused the air to vibrate left Ruby in a somewhat hypnotic trance. As her eyes wandered around the club, she froze up when she saw the large crowd dancing in the center. Sweat beads became to form all over her face and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong Ruby?" Hans shouted, trying to reach her over the music.

No response. Hans' thought that she may not of heard him and repeated his question. Still no response from Ruby but her grip on Hans' arm got tighter and she withdrew close to him, as if trying to use his body as a shield.

"She's scared of crowds of strangers. Always has been," Yang shouted over her shoulder.

"So you thought it was a good idea to bring her to a night club?"

"Yeah, oops".

Hans couldn't believe what he was hearing. How irresponsible was Ruby's older sister?!

"She seemed fine with crowds at Beacon, but I guess this is too much for her".

The grip on Hans' was starting to become vice-like becoming more than discomfort to him at this point. Hans wanted to peel Ruby off him but the teary-eyed panicked look on Ruby's face filled him with a gut-wrenching pity.

"Let's go find someplace to sit," Yang shouted once more while moving around the huge dance floor.

Hans followed, now with Ruby in tow instead. As they journeyed around the club Hans noticed some of the staff spotting them and he turned away to try to avoid eye contact. A thought occurred to him that made his stomach turn even more… They never got out of their academy uniforms. _IF WORD GETS OUT THAT A TEACHER WAS SPOTTED AT A NIGHTCLUB WITH HIS STUDNETS THEN I CAN KISS MY JOB GOODBYE. WAIT IT MIGHT EVEN BE WORSE. WHAT IF I GET SENT TO JAIL?!_ Being lost in thought in combination with the dark atmosphere caused Hans to occasionally bump into other club goers which in-turn caused Ruby's grip to tighter even more. The loss of circulation snapped Hans back to reality and he realized that Yang had created a large gap between the two.

Yang eventually made it to the club's bar where she then seated herself in front of a bartender who turned stiff as he recognized her. Hans eventually arrived along with Ruby who was still clasped onto him. Once the giant crowd was out of sight though, Ruby relaxed her death grip on Hans and hesitantly sat on a stool next to her sister. Glad that blood was once again circulating through his arm, Hans opted to lean his back against the bar next to Ruby to avoid eye contact with the bartender whilst carefully rubbing the area of his arm that had received the most trauma.

"See that wasn't too bad right sis?" Yang asked while pulling Ruby closer to her which caused the chair to tip slightly.

"R-Right. E-Easy peasy…" Ruby replied in a trembling voice. "S-So what now?"

Letting go of Ruby, Yang announced, "Just sit back, take in the atmosphere, and maybe even try talking some guys".

Ruby sat there and complied the best way she could. By twiddling her fingers around while looking around with a nervous expression on her face. She peered over to Hans who was taking off his suit and said, "I'm glad you're here professor Iron".

Hans who wasn't paying attention and trying to remain inconspicuous replied with, "Huh? Yeah".

Meanwhile Yang, who was trying to order something from the bartender, heard an angry voice call out to her.

"Blondie? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, look who it is. I was wondering when you were going to show up".

Hearing a familiar voice in the club, Hans quickly spun his head away from the source.

"What do you want? I already told you I don't anything about the women in the picture".

"Calm down, I'm just here to have some fun Junior".

Junior's face showed a hint of relief, but he kept up his act in hopes of frightening her.

Not being even slightly intimidated, Yang hopped off her seat and began cracking her knuckles, "If you really wanna brawl then we can do this, I could blow off some steam anyways".

Junior stepped back a bit and reached for his weapon but stopped as Yang continued. "I had a ton of fun duking it out in the middle of your club last time. It's not a problem if we go at it again here, right?" she also pointed her thumb behind her, "Oh, and I'm sure my buddy here wouldn't mind joining in too".

Junior's eyes followed her thumb's direction which lead him to a man he didn't think he would ever see again. "Huh? What the hell are you doing here with this chick!? Don't tell me you're playing babysitter now?"

 _Damnit._ Now that his cover was blown, Hans got off the bar and glared at Yang, who was grinning at him with her arms behind her head. _She did that on purpose!_

Hans considered playing dumb but knew it was pointless, so he grumbled, "Yeah… I guess you could say that".

Any hostility that Junior had in his face drained completely and was replaced by hopelessness as he realized what he was going up against. Junior sat down at the bar and motioned the bartender to get him a drink.

Happy with the outcome, Yang patted Junior on the back, "Attaboy, I knew you'd see reason". Instead of sitting back down though, Yang began to stretch her arm and legs. "Now that you got me all riled up, I think I'm gonna go dance". Yang looked over to Hans and asked, "Look over her for me, would ya?"

Hans thought about it for a second before replying, "Why don't you take her with you?"

Ruby's face shot up with a look of betrayal, "WHAT?!"

"She won't get any closer to conquering her fear if she hides here the whole time".

Yang grabbed Ruby by the arm and gave Hans a wink, "I like the way you think".

Ruby tried to grab onto to Hans with her other arm as she was being pulled off her seat but missed him as he gracefully stepped out of the way, "You traitor!"

"Come on, Ruby" said Yang as she relentlessly hauled Ruby away from the bar.

Hans waved farewell to Ruby, feeling sorry for the poor girl as she still tried to reach out for him and kept begging him to save her. He couldn't help but let out a smirk and a small chuckle as his somewhat sadistic nature came forth.

Hans' giddy face turned somber as Junior spoke out to him, "I never would've thought you'd bring a couple of kids here. Don't tell me you were actually serious".

Waiting for the two to disappear into the crowd, Hans responded, "I'm just looking after them for tonight".

"So then… you aren't looking for a job?"

Hans turned his focus onto Junior and said, "Nope, I've got enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life now".

"Bullshit".

Hans couldn't help but smile after being caught out on such a bad lie, "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"With the way you spend your money?" Junior began to laugh at the thought while a drink was being poured into a glass for him.

Hans decided to take a seat next to Junior before asking, "So how've you been? I like what've you've done with the place".

"Ass. Ever since you left I had to change the way this place operates".

"Whatcha mean?"

Previously, Junior's club was just a front for shady business to be conducted under the guise of an exclusive club. "Clients" would come in with jobs of questionable legality and mingle with "freelancers" in hopes of recruiting them for said jobs. Security for "shipments", more muscle for a robbery, getaway drivers, smuggling, and even assassinations were all jobs in need of high demand in this city and this club used to be a hotspot to organize it. Hans assumed that Junior had gotten tired of holding all this lucrative business here and decided to actually turn it into a club…

The bartender poured a drink into a glass for Hans as Junior began to tell Hans about what had happened to his establishment, "After the 'Legendary Garm' left, some of the bigger clients left and the component freelancers followed suite," Junior took a swing at the contents in his glass before going on, "All that was left was the vultures that would tag along for scraps and a bunch of stubborn clients who'd under pay. I wasn't making any profit from the finder's fee I charged anymore so I decided to turn this place into a club instead".

"Oh uh… Sorry to hear that… Did I mention how much I like what you've done with the place now? It's much more vibrant!"

"I heard what you said the first time".

"I think running a club suits you better. A giant pushover like you seemed out of place with those gangsters and crime lords". Hans brought the glass up to his lips before his face contorted, "BLEH!"

"I see you're still a damn kid to the core".

Hans turned his head away, "Shut up. I don't understand how you guys can stand this shit. Don't you guys serve anything sweeter?"

Junior chuckled at Hans before turning stern again, "Look, Torchwick came here looking for some muscle for a big 'job' not too long ago. Asked me if you were available for work but I had no way of contacting you. He settled with borrowing some of my guys but if you could do me a favor and reach out to him". Junior drank the rest of the contents before placing the glass back on the bar, "Did I mention he's willing to pay top dollar for someone as dependable as you? I won't even charge you a finder's fee".

Annoyed by this proposal Hans turned back and said in a calm manner, "I already told you I'm not looking for any jobs at the moment, didn't I?"

Not giving up, Junior pleaded, "Can't you do me this one favor?"

"Me, doing one job, isn't going to bring you back to your former glory".

Before they could continue the conversation, a comical record scratch along with someone's shouting rang across the club, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE TOUCHING ASSHOLE". Both Hans and Junior turned to see what had caused the disturbance, but their attention shifted to the body of a man who whizzed past them which then crashed into the cabinet of alcohol behind the bar.

Junior slammed his fist onto the bar and yelled, "GOD DAMNIT, I JUST REPLACED ALL THOSE".

Hans got off the stool and let out a sigh. He had a hunch on who the culprit behind this was, "It was nice getting to see you again buddy. I think it's about time for me to head out now. I'll consider taking that job for you."

Junior's eyes lit up, "Really".

"Yeah" _Not really._

Junior quickly pulled out a card and handed it to Hans before he could make his way to the other two. "His contact information is on here, Garm".

The crowd on the dancefloor had fully dispersed to reveal a furious red-eyed Yang along with Ruby in the center. Without turning around Hans replied, "Please don't call me that anymore. I much prefer Hans now".

Hans walked up to the two girls with a brisk pace and told them it was time to leave as he pushed them out of the club.

* * *

The three were now heading back to Beacon Academy but only two of them were walking. Ruby was lightly snoring as Yang carried her on her back. It seemed like being out of her element had exhausted the poor huntress in training.

"It was a pretty fun night tonight. I didn't think I'd get to dance with Ruby," Yang said in her usual tone and volume.

Worried that she had forgotten that Ruby was asleep, Hans put his index finger up to his mouth to signal her to lower her voice.

"Huh? Oh right, you don't have to worry about that. My sister is a heavy sleeper," Yang proceeded to hop around a few times, shaking Ruby's limp body up and down, "See! Nothing's waking her up anytime soon".

"Oh, ok then…"

Hans and Yang continued walking the empty streets of the city. The peace and calm along with the occasional flicker of the streetlights was a warm welcome to Hans after the loud music and flashing lights that had been violating his senses earlier. Hans was content with walking the whole way back listening to the ambience of the city, but Yang had other ideas.

"So, did you have any fun professor?"

"I guess so".

"You and Junior seem like good friends".

"I suppose you could call us that".

Irritated by Hans' nonchalant answers, Blake gave a quick blow to his shoulder.

"Ow, why'd you just hit me?"

"Are weapons seriously the only thing you can talk about?"

"This again?" Hans gave an apologetic smile to Yang as he tried to come up with a topic to discuss with her. "Hmmm… how about you two watch a movie next time?"

"That's not too bad of an idea but wait... You don't want to tag along?"

"You actually want me to come too!?"

"Well you are Ruby's friend, and a friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine".

"I think you're misunderstanding something here. I'm just both of yours's professor".

"Could've fooled me. Did you come out tonight to teach us a lesson?"

Hans couldn't help but agree with Yang on this assessment, but this did not cause him to waver. Hans stopped, turned to Yang, and took a firm stance while announcing in a boisterous voice, "Sorry Yang but from this day forward on, I'm acting like a true professional professor! No more fun and games! No more lax and friendly guy! And definitely no more nightclubs! The only thing you'll get from me is a strait-laced instructor that will uphold the honor Beacon Academy!"

Yang stopped and tried to hold back her laughter at Hans' theatrical announcement in the middle of sidewalk. She crumpled up and caved in finally after a few seconds, filling the streets with a contagious laugh.

"Hey… it wasn't a joke…"

Trying to catch her breath, "I know, I know it's just…" another fit of laughter took over Yang signifying to Hans that he was not going to get more out of her. "Was that your impression of a good teacher?"

Hans continued back to Beacon while dealing with the occasional outburst of giggles from Yang. On their way back, they walked passed a cinema which caught Hans attention. A movie poster that had been framed outside the movie theater caused Hans to pause and look it over. "Devil Kraken 3: The Fall!" the poster depicted a duo of famous wrestlers that went by the name Devil Kraken on a ring taunting the viewers.

"Let's go watch it!" Yang shouted, also excited by the poster.

Hans bit his lip. The temptation was strong. He had completely forgotten that this movie had came out even though he was anxiously waiting for it. He was too busy trying to get accustomed to life in Beacon.

"You're into wrestling too professor? Or… are you just into the skimpy outfits?"

" Don't lump me in with the perverts who only watch this to see some skin! I'm a huge fan of anything martial arts!"

"Oh, that's a surprise... You any good at hand-to-hand combat?"

"I'm decent. I can definitely hold my own without a weapon".

"Huh, I thought you would've been like Ruby. Anyways, lets go see if any are playing soon".

"What?!"

Yang grabbed the surprised Hans and yanked him to the ticket booth.

"H-Hey! Did you forget you're carrying someone? Someone who's asleep?!"

"Don't worry about it. If she wakes up she can enjoy watching the movie with us. Look! There's a screening in 10 minutes!"

Hans stood firmly once more and told her with a stern yet wavering voice, "No…"

"Aww, you're no fun. How about some other time then? I'd go myself but it's boring watching a movie by yourself. How about it?"

Hans pondered about it for a second. _It couldn't hurt to just watch one movie with them on a weekend or something._ Hans took a deep breath before saying, "Fine".

"Alright, awesome!" Yang said with a giant grin on he face.

* * *

For the remainder of the trip the two shared small snippets of conversation here and there before finally reaching the point where the three would go their separate ways. As Hans was departing from the two sisters, Yang spoke out, "Thanks".

With a raised eyebrow, Hans asked, "For what?"

"Coming, duh".

"Really? I barely did anything though".

Yang hopped a little to reposition Ruby higher, "Ruby wouldn't have followed me into the club on her own... I was sure she would've just stood out there the whole time waiting for me to come back. So thanks for giving her courage to come inside".

"Oh that? I really didn't do anything of my own volition. She's the one who wanted to follow you in."

Ignoring Hans, Yang continued "She always tries to avoid anything that makes her even a little uncomfortable so it surprised me that she actually came inside. I was just gonna turn around once I got in but she was right behind me the whole time".

Yang had a gentle smile as she looked at her younger sister, and Hans couldn't help but smile too. _I guess she really does care for her younger sister_... Yang then began to pinch Ruby's nose causing her to struggle in her sleep. _She just has a very obtuse way showing it_. Still, this made him envious of the bond the two shared.

After exchanging the final goodbyes Hans separated from Yang and Ruby. With no one around Hans took out the card that Junior had handed him in the club. It looked like a simple business card with the name of a company he had never seen before and a contact number. The company "Pierce & Pierce Mergers and Acquisition" was obviously fake but the idea that Torchwick was looking for Hans piqued his interest a little. Whatever scheme he had cooked up was obviously going to be no good for the city of Vale. He considered tearing the card up but decided to put it back in his pocket.

_Just incase this teaching job doesn't work out…_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I've been using Adiac's map of Beacon Academy that he's posted on Deviantart. If you guys ever get lost on where characters are, then you can refer to it for reference ( adiac/art/RWBY-Map-of-Beacon-Academy-v1-with-Legend-750333225) I'm not sure if it would heighten the reading experience but I just wanted to give credit to him since his map has been really helpful in planning and writing this chapter.**

* * *

Another peaceful day at Beacon was unfolding as the sun unleashed its rays onto the academy sitting that sat upon the cliffside. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, and various object were whizzing past a man who was frantically running away?

 _Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!_ Hans jumped over to his left, narrowly avoiding a plank of wood from behind. _Such deadly accuracy! I REALLY SCREWED UP THIS TIME!_ Hans took a quick glance behind him to see Glynda heading towards him with numerous items floating around her with a large rock being prepped to be launched at him. _I've gotten a lot further from her, but she just uses her semblance on everything I try to hide behind!_ As Hans continued to run, he saw a group of students ahead walking towards him, most likely trying to get to the cafeteria.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Hans yelled at the top of his lungs. The students were caught off-guard and just stood there looking dumbstruck at the professor. Hans had no choice but to stop his momentum to avoid crashing so he pushed his heels into the ground. Stopping right before the group, Hans turned around ready to avoid anything thrown his way but the sight he saw took him a second to process. Glynda stood still in the middle of the walkway with all the objects she had collected with her semblance on the floor around her.

It didn't take long for Hans to figure out why Glynda has stopped her assault and he couldn't help but smirk as he realized what was going on. She was avoiding getting the students caught in the crossfire and it was going to be even more difficult soon as the hallways and walkways would soon be filled to brim with students as they left their dorms. Hans turned around and weaved his way past the students that were still in front of him and started his sprint once more while letting out a howling laugh, "HAHAHAHAHA, GOOOOOOOODBYE GLYNDA".

Appalled by Hans' behavior Glynda closed her eyes and took deep breaths to try to calm herself but as time passed the more the grip on her weapon tightened and the more her body trembled in rage until finally she reached her boiling point. **_This man must be taught a lesson_** _._ Her eyelids slowly opened up revealing the intense rage that was hiding behind them and then it happened… broke out into a sprint. The students that were frozen in place jumped out of the way for their combat instructor.

* * *

Hans was now jogging as he continued to slip past groups of students walking in the opposite direction. He felt a tinge guilt for using the students as shields but there was no real danger for them. _What a lucky break. I'm going to hit a fork in the road up ahead soon, I could head left towards more of the student's dorms or I could trick her by going right towards the administrative buildings_.

As Hans pondered what to do next his concentration was interrupted by the distant and rapid sound of clacking. _That familiar sound… it couldn't be_. Hans turned his head to try to see what the source was but the only thing he could see was the crowd of students along the pathway. As the clacking got closer Hans realized that students further in the distance were moving out onto the grass to make way for something. Hans pace began to quicken unconsciously. Fear began to seize his body once more. His head was glued in place as he began to start bumping into students. _There's no way…_

The students were moving onto the grass were like sand being pushed aside by some beast that was tunneling its way towards Hans. The clacking was getting closer and his mind screamed at him to run as death was approaching but the fear and curiosity gripped his body. _It's almost in sight._

Suddenly, burst out of the crowd of students, showing herself to Hans finally. Her hair wild and undone, her blood-shot eyes were filled with fire, sweat covered her entire body, her feet swollen red from running in heels, and there was an aura of malice around her.

Hans quickly turned his head back around and began sprinting at all his might. Students quickly made a path for the two as they saw the chase. _There's no way she could outrun me right?! RIGHT?! I-I-I just need to get as far away as I can!_ _W-Wait a second! WHICH TURN DID I TAKE?!_ As the number of students he passed became smaller and the direction they were going was the same as his , Hans realized that he had made a grave mistake while he wasn't paying attention. As he passed another group of students, what Hans saw in front of him filled him with despair… it was a clear path. Hans heard the sound of something being uprooted before being sent flying his way.

**Hans heartbeat quickened to double its current rate and his eyes widened as his surroundings seemed to move slower.**

Hans jumped to the side while twisting his body to the side, narrowly dodging a tree but causing him to stumble as he landed. This was only the beginning of the assault though as Hans was forced to dodge an entire lamppost and a bench next. Hans reacted more gracefully this time, weaving his way out of their designated paths. _It won't be that easy-_

A larger tree was launched at Hans horizontally forcing him to jump upward but because of the height it was being sent Hans would have to arch his body backward. This maneuver was able to save him but from a full-on clash but the branches of the ripped through the back of his coat. It also left him stationary once he finally landed. _I was able to widen the distance between us but she's got a unlimited amount of resources to throw at me out here and I can't keep this up forever. I need somewhere safer QUICK!_ Hans took a quick look around his surroundings before deciding to sprint towards through one of the administrative buildings. _I'll just cut through here and lose her once I get out on the other side!_ Getting to the building wasn't easy for Hans though as he had to bob and weave through a number of objects before finally crashing through the door of the building. He wasn't able to get any further from as the constant dodging had slowed down his pace but the amount of space between them was enough for her to lose sight of him as he got out the other side of the building.

Before Hans stood Beacon Tower. He was at the center of the academy but still had no idea where he wanted to run to. _Where-to-hide?!Wheretohidewheretohide!_ As Hans ran right along the walkway that encircled Beacon Tower, he found a grove of trees. Glynda still hadn't made it through the building yet so this was the opportune time and place to hide. Getting off the path and diving behind the largest tree in the vicinity, Hans gasped for air as his bodily functions returned to normal. He tried to listen to the sound of clacking over his heavy breathing and was relieved to hear nothing. _Maybe I finally lost her._ Hans peered his head out from the tree hoping not to see her but was quickly disappointed. Somewhere along the way she had ditched her heels it seemed, and it looked she was interrogating students on Hans whereabouts. Hans quickly retreated his head behind the tree and sat with his back against the tree. _Live or die… it was worth it._

"You look like you've been through hell", a calm voice called out above Hans.

Shocked, Hans instantly turned his head to the voice fearful that it was somehow Glynda. Relief washed over him as he realized it was just a student perched on the branch of the tree he was hiding behind. She had long black hair and a black ribbon on top of her head that resembled cat ears.. In her hands was a book whose cover matched the color of the hair. Hans couldn't make out any letters on the cover but that didn't really matter to him. He leaned back onto the tree and tried to remember this student's name. _She looks familiar… Was she part of Team RWBY?_

"Sorry if I bothered, you're reading session. I'm running away from someone right now… Bella?".

"It's Blake. The rumors about you were true after all".

"My bad".

"It's fine, I don't really care. Anyways, this someone must be a quite a monster if it has one of Beacon's professors running for his life".

"She's much worse than a monster… She's a demon!"

"She?" Filled with curiosity, Blake took her eyes away from Hans and peered out towards where Hans had came from. "Umm professor, you're not referring to are you?"

"I am. What's she doing?"

"It looks like she's talking to some students".

Hans gulped. _Hopefully, none of the students will rat me out._

"So… why's she chasing you?"

"It's, um, complicated".

"I guess you'll just have to tell me another time then"

"Oh sorry, did you want to get back to reading?"

"No, because she's coming this way right now".

Hans was about to shout out in fear but stopped himself by clasping his hands around his mouth. Tears began to fill his eyes. _Not like this_.

"It was nice knowin-" Blake said as she turned towards her professor. She could only get a glimpse Hans' face but she saw enough to feel pity.

"Ms. Belladonna, have you seen professor Iron?" asked Ms. Goodwitch several meters away.

"Yeah, I saw him running towards the cafeteria".

"Damn that swine. Ofcourse he'd run back there".

It was silent in the small grove for a minute before Hans let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Blake", Hans said with a trembling voice, "I'll remember this for the rest of my life".

Blake closed her book and spoke again to Hans, "I expect a good explanation now".

"Oh right. So where to start…" Hans closed his eyes as the events leading up to now filled his mind, "So it all began in the cafeteria. I was a little drowsy from the previous night thanks to a certain student, so I wasn't completely there. I was going to get in line to get some food when there it was… an unguarded plate of delicious food calling out for me".

"You're… not being serious are you?"

"I AM! And this wasn't the first time this had happened too… The line was just so long and I was just so hungry! THIS HAD TO BE A SETUP. I WAS HOODWINKED!"

Blake jumped off her branch and landed in front of Hans, "I find it hard to believe that started chasing after you because of some food."

"Well, uh, that isn't the sole reason", Hans began to blush and let out a nervous laugh.

"Ok, well what other reasons were there?"

"Well, I didn't have my tie on which pissed her off".

"I doubt she'd be that mad about your tie".

"You'd be surprised. That wasn't the final straw for her though".

"I figured. So, what was it?"

"When she began to interrogate me about the food… I may have let it slip that… I was at a nightclub with two students…"

"So that rumor really is true…" Blake said with a hint of disgust on her face.

"IT'S COMPLICATED!" With a dejected look, Hans begins to get up on his feet.

"So what are you going to do now? You aren't going to just keep running away from are you?"

"I haven't really thought that far ahead. I was more concerned with escaping Glynda".

"Maybe you should apologize".

"Apolo-what? Don't be silly, that'd never work… atleast I don't think it would". Blake shrugged at Hans response and turned to leave before being interrupted by Hans, "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

Without turning around Blake answered, "To class. Where else?"

"You're not going to help me figure out what to do?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're my accomplice now!"

Blake turned around to professor Iron again "I never agreed to help you professor".

"Uh, yes you did".

"What? When?"

"When you lied to Glynda?"

"I only did that because I felt bad for you. Are you really gonna hold that against me?"

"I'm not trying to blackmail you or anything but as you can tell… I'm really bad at keeping secrets. If Glynda gets her hands on me, there's no telling what will happen! I'll probably spill the bean on how I was able to evade her in the grove."

"Unbelievable…" Blake let out a sigh and paused. She stood in place with her arms crossed and looked at Hans with narrowed eyes. _Is he actually being genuine?_ She didn't sense any malicious intent from him. _Maybe I could just deny any allegations he made…_ She looked Hans up and down once again. "Ugh, fine".

Upon hearing his student's willingness to help, Hans yelled out, "AWESOME!" and threw his hand out for a high five.

Still a little reluctant, Blake slowly returned the high five before asking, "So what exactly are we doing?"

Hans spoke with a serious voice, "Our objective is to pacify the combat instructor, Glynda Goodwitch".

"Alright, so how are we going to do that?"

"That's where you come in Blake! Come up with an idea for me!"

"Wha- HOW?!" Blake looked confused and annoyed, "You expect me to just come up with a magical solution to your problem?"

"Exactly!"

"Again, why don't you just apolo-"

"No no no, that'd never work. She'd kill me before I even got to say anything to her".

Blake started to ponder the situation while Hans waited patiently. "She's not mad only because of the events that transpired this morning, right?"

"Correct. She's been upset about me being an incapable professor in the past".

"Then why don't you prove to her that you're a capable professor?"

"I'm not really sure how to do that. I've been trying to come up with an idea all week... well maybe not all week but I have given it some thought but I've got no clue."

Blake began to look at a sheathed dagger that was hanging from Hans' hips.

"What're you looking-" Hans was confused by her gaze, "Wait, you're not thinking-"

Blake shook her head to confirm Hans' rambling. "What other way is there to prove yourself in 's eyes?"

Hans gulped. _Blake just might be right. Either that or she's trying to get me killed so rat her out._ It didn't take long for Hans to be filled with resolve though. "You're right Blake. No more running. It's time to end this!" His eyes were filled with determination and he exuded an air of confidence. "Thank you. I was right to choose you as my advisor".

"You mean force?"

"C'mon don't be like that. I wouldn't snitched if I was being interrogated by anyone else. Glynda though… she's a whole different story".

"It's whatever. I'll take the upcoming battle as compensation. I'll be watching from the sidelines".

Glad to see that Blake wasn't too upset with him, Hans let out a chuckle, "You're betting on me right?"

"Nope", Blake quickly answered

Hans wasn't surprised by her answer and took this almost as a challenge. It was time to do the impossible and show Glynda and Blake what he was truly made of. _I can do this._ Hans had a smug expression on his face and reached for his weapons he had brought for the day. If he was on a mission, he would have handpicked an arsenal of weapons to cover any situation that would rear itself but since he was only going to instruct classes today he only brought two. Because he didn't foresee any confrontation, he randomly selected two weapons off the floor while he was half-awake. _I've got a dagger today and…_ Hans hands reached around to the back of his hip. He usually concealed his ranged weapons here. _WHY THE HELL DID I BRING THIS?!_

"What's wrong professor? You started making a weird face".

"Oh, uh, um, its uh, nothing".

"If you say so", Blake replied with a quizzical look, "You don't plan at attacking her with just a dagger, do you?"

"O-Ofcourse not!" Hans kept his right hand clutched on the weapon behind him, "Umm, you wouldn't happen to have any weapons with you by any chance would you Blake?"

"…No, why?"

"Well it's just that… well I do have another weapon and… it's… too dangerous! Yeah… Yeah! I wouldn't want to actually hurt Glynda with it!"

With a raised eyebrow, Blake followed up with another question, "Really? What is it?"

"It's a secret! I can't tell you".

"Alright then? Fine".

* * *

Hans was hiding behind another tree in the grove and peering out at his target; Glynda Goodwitch. She had fixed her hair and wiped out all the sweat from her face while Blake and Hans were conversing. She hadn't found her heels, yet she was still walking around and questioning students on Hans' whereabouts. Blake sat on the branch of a nearby tree watching the two with anticipation.

 _Glynda's a formidable opponent._ Hans thought to himself. _Her semblance gives her a huge advantage at further ranges. She can use it to attack foes from afar and stop any projectiles that approach her. Even if I had a firearm it'd be next to useless against her. The only chance I have is to rush her but she's about 150 meters away... Even if I catch her off guard, I won't be fast enough to close the gap between us without her noticing. If only I could hasten my speed higher than double… My only option now is to her daze before charging in. I'll have to use **that** but it's not like I have any other choice…_

When Glynda began to question a student with her back turned the grove, Hans took this opportunity to begin his plan and he stepped out of the grove.

 _So he's finally going for it_. Blake stared intensely at Hans, watching every little movement he made, curious about what Hans was going to do. He walked a few meters out of the grove before standing firmly in place and reaching for the weapon behind his back. Blake's upper body lurched forward. _So much for a secret weapon._ After a moment of hesitation, Hans finally revealed his trump card; A curved piece of wood with crude drawings on it. _Huh…_ Blake looked at the weapon agape before doing a double take. _YOUR SECRET WEAPON IS A BOOMERANG?! Wait, does it transform into another weapon or something?_ Hans aimed carefully and threw the boomerang at a wide arc to his left with all his might. _IT REALLY IS JUST A BOOOMERANG!_

"HEY GLYNDA!" shouted Hans with a cracked voice.

Upon hearing her name being called, turned. Her face didn't shift in anyway but the demonic aura she exuded earlier poured out all at once. "So you've finally showed yourself, and you're not running away?"

As she was about to take a step towards Hans, he quickly shouted back, "Y-Yeah, before you come over here to kill me I just wanted to say… I'm, um, REALLY SORRY!

At this moment, the boomerang began to arc towards . _So that's his plan. To confuse her with a surprise attack while he's distracting her. Will this really work?_

Glynda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her grip on the riding crop eased and she let out a deep sigh. "Fine , I accept your apology".

"HUH?"

 _HUH,_ Blake and Hans gasped and thought at the same time.

"I don't know why I've been acting unbecoming of a senior master because of your actions but after hearing your apology, I feel-"

Before could finish what she was saying, the boomerang finally reached it destination; causing a loud _WHACK_ as it hit the side of Glynda's head. The force of the collision caused Glynda's head to shift to the left and forced her glasses off her face.

Hans stood in place. He had completely forgot about his plan to charge after confusing her. He was just motionless. Not even his heart dared to beat.

Glynda pressed her hand against the area of impact and glared down at the object that had landed in front of her after connecting to her head. She reached down and picked it up and examined it in front of her face. Her grip suddenly tightened on it and veins on her forehead started to bulge out as the boomerang crumpled before her might.

"MY BOOMERANG!"

Glynda quickly glared at Hans as soon as he spoke out. Her visage was dark, and her eyes filled once again with fury but quickly narrowed to small slits as to if to hide them. A creepy smile adjourned her face and she spoke to Hans once more, "Oh, so that primitive toy was yours Hans?"

When Glynda uttered his name, he felt waves fear crashing throughout his body. "Um, uh, y-yeah. I-I, uh, seemed to have m-misplaced it".

Glynda began to walk towards Hans as the pupils in the slit of her eyes locked on to Hans and everything around began to levitate.

"I-I'm r-really s-s-s-sorry Glyn- I, uh, mean Ms.G-Goodwitch".

"Oh, you will be", Glynda replied in a cold voice, " **you will be** ".

"W-Wait! Please! I-I can explain! S-STAY AWAY! NOOOOOOOOO!"

Blake, who was also frozen in place, turned away in horror and left her professor alone to his fate.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"


End file.
